Erdoğan says extradition of Die Welt journalist impossible as long as he is in power

People demonstrate for the release of Deniz Yücel, Turkey correspondent of German newspaper "Die Welt" in Berlin.
/ AFP PHOTO

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has said the extradition of Turkish-German journalist Deniz Yücel, who was jailed in Turkey in February, to Germany will never take place as long as Erdoğan is president.

Yücel, who was detained in Turkey on Feb. 14 as part of an investigation for publishing stories on the leaked emails of President Erdoğan’s son-in-law and Energy Minister Berat Albayrak, was arrested by a court on Feb. 27 and sent to Silivri Prison in İstanbul.

Speaking on a TV program on Thursday night, Erdoğan commented about Yücel’s possible extradition to Germany and said: “It will never take place. It will never happen as long as I occupy this post [as president].”

He said Germany does not extradite the Turkish citizens demanded by Turkey, so it will receive the same treatment from Turkey.

The Turkish government and Erdoğan accuse Germany of harboring terrorists from Turkey.

President Erdoğan accused Yücel of being a “German agent” and a “representative of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers’ Party [PKK]” on many occasions.

The journalist is accused of “disseminating the propaganda of a terrorist organization” and “inciting people to hatred and enmity.”

Nationwide protests took place in Germany and other European countries after Yücel’s arrest, with demands made for his immediate release.